Photo Credit Bruce Christianson
Mind Travel Anyone?
By Dr. Erika Montgomery
have been thinking about taking a
trip. I am not sure where I want to go.
There are so many possibilities. I can
travel to a place that I have been to in the past or places I have been in my dreams. Growing up in California, I spent many weekends at the beach. The beach is where I go when I need peace of mind. The bright sun shining on my face, the blue skies and water, the sound of the waves brushing against the tide, and the warmth of the sweet air. Thinking about my favorite place, it's easy to drift off, losing track of time, with my body feeling completely free, at peace, and full of joy. It is no surprise the beach is my happy place and it is where I most often mind travel. Where is your happy place? Where do you dream of traveling? The wonder of mind travel is that we can go anywhere at anytime; it simply takes a vivid imagination. Mind travel is free, you can get there in an instant, it feels so good, and once you experience it as a full-body, sensing experience, your mind doesn't know if it's real or imagined.
Visualization is powerful. Scientific studies have proven that creative visualization has positive effects on our mental and physical health; including increasing our immunity, reducing stress, and diminishing pain. Science shows that the practice of visualization improves athletic performance, increases cognitive ability, bolsters self-esteem, and assist in goal achievement. Creative visualization is essential in training the mind because in large part, where the mind goes, the body will follow. Neuroscience has demonstrated that the brain can reproduce mental imagery from all the senses; sights, sounds, tastes, smells, temperatures, pressures, textures, and movement. Visualization alters the brainwave patterns and biochemistry, effecting our mental state and our physical conditions. Creative visualization is how we change our emotions. It is how we change our experience of ourselves and our bodies. This is how we create a vision of our future.
The infinite potential of our mind is that no matter where we are physically, we can take our minds to a different place and we can experience the emotions that we choose, positive or negative. For example, close your eyes and imagine sitting down
I